Mt. Olive inmate dies after struggle with prison staff

An inmate died in a Fayette County state prison Friday night after he allegedly attacked a prison counselor, struggled with staff, was ultimately restrained and then suffered some sort of medical event while in restraints, a state spokesman said.

David Munday, 50, of Hedgesville, was serving a life sentence after he was convicted in 2003 of shooting a State Trooper in the head in Berkeley County. The trooper, who was responding to a domestic dispute, survived.

Around 6 p.m. Friday, Munday attacked a counselor at Mt. Olive Correctional Complex, the state’s only maximum security prison, according to Lawrence Messina, spokesman for the state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety.

Prison staff responded to assist the counselor and restrain Munday, and in the course of doing so a correctional officer was injured, Messina said.

“The inmate remained combative but ultimately was restrained,” Messina said.

Once Munday was physically restrained, he suffered some sort of “medical episode,” Messina said, although it was unclear exactly what sort.

Munday was taken to the prison’s medical unit and staff attempted to provide aid, but he died, Messina said.

He died within 90 minutes of the incident starting, Messina said.

The counselor and correctional officer were both taken to a nearby hospital. Their injuries do not appear to be life threatening, Messina said, although the female counselor was seriously injured.

The West Virginia State Police is investigating the incident and the state Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy, including a toxicology report, to try to determine why Munday died, Messina said.

Reach David Gutman at david.gutman@wvgazette.com, 304-348-5119 or follow @davidlgutman on Twitter.